Joel Embiid looks different on media day as he's lost 25-30 pounds in hopes of avoiding the injury bug this season for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Joel Embiid can cross Olympic Gold Medal winner off his list of professional basketball goals after becoming a champion with Team USA this past summer. With NBA Training Camps opening this week, he's hoping that he will also soon become an NBA Champion. And it does appear as if he's willing to do almost anything to help make that happen with the Philadelphia 76ers.
At Sixers media day on Monday, Embiid revealed to reporters that he had lost 25-30 pounds this summer in an attempt to put less strain on his body. The hope is that by cutting some weight, Embiid will be less prone to injuries over the course of the season. Embiid also noted that he ideally would like to lose more weight but understands it's a process that may not be able to happen in-season.
Nevertheless, Embiid is hoping that a slimmed-down version of himself will help him avoid the one hurdle that has cost him many times over the course of his career. Embiid missed 43 regular-season games last season and has not played 70 regular-season games in a single at any point in his career.
Joel Embiid is entering the late-stage of his prime years in the NBA
As Embiid enters his 30s, with the cruel reality of Father Time in the not-so-distant future, you can't blame him for trying to do his best to take care of his body at this point in his career. In fact, the argument can be made that this is a change that should've come a couple of years ago.
But considering Embiid has been playing at an MVP level over the last few seasons, it's hard to argue with the results - injuries aside.
Throughout the course of his career, there have been very few individual players who have been able to slow Embiid down. It's probably Nikola Jokic, and that's it. But injuries have certainly limited his individual and overall team success during his time in the NBA. The hope is that will no longer be the case heading into this season.
While there's no guarantee this is the move that will solve his injury issues, it's hard to envision this move hurting him in the long run. And if it does work or help, the Sixers, with a new-look loaded roster, will be in a great position to potentially win it all this season.